The Call of My Heart
by Kimiko Seraphiel
Summary: Rin's all grown up, and Sesshoumaru wonders what's going to happen next. R and R ;
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: None of the Inuyasha characters are mine  
  
A young woman was standing by a calm river, looking at her distorted reflection in the clear waters. She had long, black hair that shone vibrantly; a sign that she was well taken-care of. Her dark eyes held a vivacious, playful look, and her full lips seemed to always be upturned into a happy smile. She had a lot to be happy for, this young woman. Although her life had started out very badly, it turned out more than decently. The first part of her childhood seemed more like a bad dream to her, than her past. Who would have thought that a young orphan child who used to live alone in a cave on the outskirts of a hateful village would now be a part of a loving (well, sort of), yet odd family? Her father… no, she did not want to think of him as being a father. He was a caregiver. He was a friend. Yes, her friend had saved her from the nightmare of her past, and brought her into this dream of the present. For this, she would be eternally grateful to him. Her small smile formed into a bigger one as she thought about the silver-haired demon who had rescued her from certain death, and from the loneliness that had been swallowing her small heart. Yes, she would be eternally grateful to him for all he had done for her.  
  
As she stood at the river, her gaze went from her own reflection to the creatures that made that river their home. Though she was watching them intently, her mind was elsewhere. She did not notice the short, green goblin-esque creature walking up behind her. "Rin," it exclaimed in a somewhat grating voice. "Rin! Lord Sesshoumaru has been looking for you everywhere!"  
  
Rin was startled by his voice, for she had been totally lost in her thoughts. She spun around, and her knee firmly hit the goblin in the face, causing him to go into the air and twirl once before landing facedown on the ground. "Jaken! I'm so sorry!" She picked up him and set him back on his feet, keeping a hand on his shoulder for a moment so that he would remain steady.  
  
"You should be sorry," Jaken muttered as he rubbed his cheek, glowering at Rin. "Lord Sesshomaru is ready to move on. If you do not want to be le-"  
  
"-Left behind I need to hurry and get a move on. I know, I know. You tell me that every time we move on." She strained herself up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Let's go." She began walking before Jaken had a chance to say anything more. Though he always said that Lord Sesshomaru would leave without her if she did not hurry, she could not find it in herself to believe him. Sesshomaru and she had a bond. She had helped him when he was in need, and he had helped her. It had always been that way, and in her heart she knew that it would always be Sesshomaru and her forever.. Even if that meant having to deal with Jaken. 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: None of the Inuyasha characters are mine  
  
Once the trio had caught back up together, they began walking along together at an amiable pace. There was nowhere in particular to go, so there was no need to use haste. "Where are we going, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin asked curiously, wanting to break the silence that she was painfully used to.  
  
"There is a village on the outskirts of my lands," he said quietly.   
  
"Why are we going to that village, Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"There is a demon there, terrorizing the villagers."  
  
"Oh! So you're going to protect them?" She smiled at him admiringly. "You're going to go and defeat the demon, and then you'll be the hero of the townspeople!"  
  
He scoffed when she said this, and shook his head a little. "Rin, the safety of those mere mortals concerns me not. What concerns me is that a demon is on my land, when it has not gotten my permission. I am merely going to protect what is mine."  
  
When he said this, she fell silent and her smile disappeared. The words 'mere mortal' echoed in her mind, haunting her. He had always made it clear that he held no respect for mortals, nor did he care whether they lived or died. When she was younger this did not bother her, but now that she was sixteen, it held meaning. It made her wonder if he truly cared about her. She never dared to ask, because her heart would break if he truly did not care for her.  
  
Sesshoumaru glanced over at the silent Rin, wondering what was going on in that complex mind of hers. Something he had said had made her stop smiling, and although he showed no outward emotions, it concerned him. The girl used to frighten him, because he felt such an urge to protect her. He had never thought of a human twice, even after killing one. Why was this human so different, he wondered to himself. Perhaps it was because she was the first to ever show true concern for him that made his cold heart warm to her smile. Time and again he thought of just finding a village for her to live the rest of her life in. She deserved much more than he could give. She deserved true happiness, to love and to be loved in return. Rin deserved a loving husband and family, instead of a demon and his servant as surrogate parents. There were many times that he had the chance to just be gone from her life. There were many times that he had almost gone through with it. Always, though, he could not leave her. Just the thought of not seeing her smile, of hearing her voice caused a pain in his chest. She truly made him happy, and he hoped that he made her happy as well. He was no fool, though. He knew that she would eventually fall in love, as all young women did, and she would leave him. When that day came, he would let her leave without a fight. He would say his farewell to her, and he would never look back.  
  
Rin's voice broke through his thoughts. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"  
  
He sighed, and looked at her somewhat sharply. "What is it, Rin," he asked with a biting tone that caused her to recoil.  
  
"N-nothing. It's nothing." She looked down at the ground as they walked, causing a small frown to form on Sesshoumaru's face.  
  
"What is it," he asked more gently, forcing his features to become relaxed once more.  
  
At the gentleness of his tone, Rin brightened and looked at him with a smile. "I was just wondering when we were going to eat," she said with a jovial note.  
  
Sesshoumaru sighed softly, but a small smirk formed on his lips. "Did you not eat before we began, Rin," he asked in a soft, chiding tone. "I thought I told you to."  
  
"Yes, you did. I forgot to, though."  
  
"She was staring at her reflection in the river," Jaken interjected. "She's a vain one, if you ask me."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked down at Jaken, his brow furrowing a little. "Well, I did not ask you, did I? Go, Jaken, to the village. When we meet up with you, you will give me a report."  
  
"Yes sir! Thank you for entrusting me with such a task!" He scurried off, glancing back at Rin with a superior look, to which Rin just smiled.  
  
Sesshoumaru turned to Rin. "Now, what were you saying about being hungry," he asked as he walked at a slower pace, glad to have some time alone with her before he had to perform the task he had set out to do. 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: None of the Inuyasha characters are mine  
  
The sun was beginning to set into the horizon when Sesshoumaru and Rin saw the village in the distance. "There it is, Lord Sesshoumaru," Rin said as she extended her arm to point it out to him.  
  
"Yes, Rin, I see it," Sesshoumaru said in a nonchalant manner as he glanced over at her for just a moment. "You will stay here until I come for you. Jaken will be joining you shortly."  
  
"But Lord Sesshoumaru! Can't I come with you? I'm not a little girl anymore. I want to help!"  
  
"No, Rin. You may not come. Stay here. I will come back for you."  
  
Rin sighed deeply and plopped herself somewhat ungracefully down on the ground. "Alright, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said with a disappointed tone in her voice.  
  
"That is better, Rin," Sesshoumaru said as he looked down at her. "I will not be long." Without a second glance, he began walking along the road once more, alone now. As he walked, he wondered what he would find in the village. Jaken would answer any questions that were going through his mind once he found him. Jaken. He was nowhere to be seen, Sesshoumaru realized. He looked around, having expected him to not linger close to the village once he had found out the information that Sesshoumaru needed. There was no need to worry, though. Jaken, though seemingly inept, could take care of himself, though Sesshoumaru felt that Jaken relied on him a little too much. Of course, that was to be expected since Jaken was his servant.   
  
As he approached the village, the smell of death assaulted his sense of smell. His nose crinkled slightly from the offensive smell, and he paused for a moment to allow himself to grow accustomed to the odor before continuing onward. As he set foot into the village, he saw no one. He heard nothing, save for the wildlife making their various sounds. He made his way further into the small village, his hand moving to the hilt of Tokijin, preparing himself for a battle if there was to be one. As he walked and looked around, his foot came into contact with something. He glanced down at the ground, and was slightly surprised to see Jaken's staff. He removed his hand from the hilt of his sword as he bent down, and he picked up the staff. Where could Jaken be, Sesshoumaru wondered as he began walking once more, becoming more alert than before.   
  
As he walked further into the village, he noticed that blood was beginning to paint the outer walls of the homes. Some of the curtains that covered the doorways were pulled away, and he began walking towards one of the seemingly abandoned homes. He noticed a man sitting at his table, slumped over so that his forehead was pressed to the smooth wood. Sesshoumaru walked over to the man slowly, knowing he was dead. With Jaken's staff, Sesshoumaru pushed at the man's shoulder, causing him to fall backwards. The man was young, perhaps twenty years of age. His face was frozen in a position of great fear, but there were no markings on him that would point to how he died. Sesshoumaru looked at the fallen man for a moment longer before turning and making his way out of the tiny hut.   
  
As Sesshoumaru continued investigating, it began to grow apparent to him that the demon, or demons that had attacked the village were no longer there. They had obliterated every human there and moved on to repeat the process in another village. Of course, there was still the puzzlement of where Jaken had gone to. Sesshoumaru continued walking around the village slowly, looking for the small creature. After looking for only a few minutes, he found Jaken's body lying on the ground facedown. Dead, Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he drew his Tensaiga. Death meant nothing to him. He could reverse its effects with a simple flick of his wrist. He looked down at Jaken's body and concentrated, narrowing his eyes a little. Soon, everything began to fade and all he could see was Jaken's body, and the messengers of the Underworld crawling over him. He flicked his wrist, cutting through the messengers, making them disappear. After he had done this, Jaken took his first breath after death and hoisted himself up onto his knees. Slowly, he looked up and gasped in surprise. "Lord Sesshoumaru! It is you! Can it be, that you have resurrected me?"  
  
"Of course, Jaken," Sesshoumaru said as he re-sheathed the Tensaiga. "Must you ask me that same question each time I resurrect you?"  
  
"I am sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken said quickly as he bowed to his master. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru! Thank you!"  
  
"That is enough, Jaken. Tell me what you have found."  
  
Jaken stood shakily, and retrieved his staff. "Well, there was more than one demon, Lord Sesshoumaru. They were very powerful, killing all the villagers quickly. I was unfortunate enough to be caught between one of the demons, and its attack on a villager."  
  
"Tell me of their powers, Jaken," Sesshoumaru commanded.  
  
"Yes, Master! There were only two that I saw. One was very powerful physically, and very big, Lord Sesshoumaru. It seemed to rely on brute strength, and was very sluggish, master. You should have no problem getting rid of that one."  
  
"Heh. And the other?"  
  
"Oh! The other… It was very powerful, too, Master. It could look at a person from across the path, and they would be dead. That was the demon that killed me. My heart just suddenly felt like it was being clamped down on, and I couldn't breathe. To think that such a tiny thing could kill me! It was so scary, Master!"  
  
"I am sure," Sesshoumaru said boredly as he turned to begin walking once more. "We will keep an eye on the village closest to this, and if the demons attack, I will kill them. If not, then it is none of my concern."  
  
Jaken followed close behind Sesshoumaru, looking at him admiringly. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. That is a very good plan."  
  
Sesshoumaru remained silent as he continued walking, until he heard a woman's scream piercing the quiet atmosphere. It was just not any woman; it was Rin. Sesshoumaru began running quickly when he heard this, leaving Jaken behind. 


End file.
